Access Plus Racing’s hope for another 1-2 finish came to naught when the Philippine Superbike Championship (PSBK) returned to the Batangas Racing Circuit (BRC) over the weekend. While rider TJ Alberto delivered a pair of podium finishes, his teammate Troy Alberto crashed out in Race 1 but thankfully suffered no major injuries.
The team started the weekend strong with Troy setting a new outright track record around the 3.700 km circuit. He and his #69 Ducati Panigale V4 stopped the clock at 1:33.579, which was also more than enough for pole in Qualifying. His older brother TJ, on the other hand, qualified P3 to put both Access Plus Racing riders on the front row of the grid.
However, Race 1 almost ended as quickly as it began for Troy after he collided with Marvin Mangulabnan’s Aprilia RSV4 on the run to the first corner. It was a relief that both riders were able to maintain control with Troy dropping down to P4 as a result. TJ and Troy later moved up to P2 and P3 positions, respectively, after finding a way past Dashi Watanabe on the Kawasaki ZX10R. Unfortunately, Troy’s race weekend would come to an abrupt end soon after. Misjudging his entry going into turn 2, the younger Alberto lost control of his bike on lap 6 that caused the race to be red flagged.
This left TJ Alberto to carry the team’s colors at the restart and immediately went for the lead as the lights went out. He then came under attack from Mangulabnan and battled for position until the very last lap. In the end, TJ lost out on a win by a mere 0.036 secs as they crossed the finish line side-by-side.
It became a 3-way fight in Race 2 as the older Alberto had to defend against the Aprilia and Kawasaki. He constantly swapped positions with Watanabe until half the race distance where he finally found a way past. But by that time, Mangulabnan had already opened up a substantial gap. Still, he pushed hard to catch up and came to within half a second of his rival when the chequered flag dropped earning TJ Alberto and Access Plus Racing another podium finish.
TJ Alberto still leads the Overall Points Standings after Round 2 as the Philippine Superbike Championship (PSBK) heads to the Clark International Speedway on July 6/7 for Round 3. As for his younger brother Troy, he’s now focused on making a full recovery in time for the next race and bring Access Plus Racing to the front.
TJ Alberto, #77: “Not the best result. Expected a bit more, but was struggling with the bike since Friday. However, there were a lot of positives. Fighting for position in both races gave us the opportunity to chase from behind. It allowed me to learn from our weaknesses and we’ll definitely be working hard to turn things around in the next race. We also still come home with the points lead, but it’s too soon right now to make any predictions for the championship.”
Troy Alberto, #69: “The bike felt great all weekend. Pole position and set a new all-time lap record on Saturday and we were looking good for the race on Sunday. Unfortunately, I pushed a little too hard and crashed out with 5 laps to go. It was a hard hit and had a bit of back pain, which required a visit to the hospital. I’m now on the road to recovery and hopefully I can be back for Round 3.”
Toti Alberto, Team Principal: “Not the results we were hoping for, but what’s important is that Troy is ok. TJ also took home 2 podium finishes and still leads the championship. The competition is really tight and I thank God for keeping both Troy and TJ safe. Access Plus Racing still has a month to prepare for the next round in Clark, which is a track we’re strong at and we hope to turn things around there.
Access Plus Racing is sponsored by Ducati Philippines, Shell Advance, DID, Aella, Extreme Components, Macbeth, Motoworld, Sprint Filter, Bremo, and Öhlins Racing.
